Bus driver ‘will quit’ rather than drive new rainbow bus
A bus driver from Canada has pledged to quit his job rather than drive his city’s new rainbow bus, because he’s a ‘Christian’.
The city of Calgary, Alberta introduced a new rainbow-coloured bus to celebrate the city’s Pride parade – seemingly drawing inspiration from Transport for London, who have introduced a rainbow bus, rainbow taxi and rainbow train over the past year.
The bus will rotate through different routes in Calagary in the build-up to its Pride parade on September 7.
However, one bus driver is not thrilled at the prospect of driving the ‘gay’ vehicle, and has threatened to quit rather than do his job.
Driver Jesse Rau claimed that driving the bus would be promoting a lifestyle he “can’t condone” – though we’re not totally clear if he thinks every bus driver in the world has to personally endorse everything that appears on every bus they drive.
The Calgary Transit worker, who claims to be a Christian, told CTV: “I’m concerned that if I say that this bus is against my beliefs that I might not have a job.
“I’m a Christian so, as a Christian, there are things like homosexuality that I just can’t condone. Unfortunately, we live in a culture where if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, the accusation is that you hate the person.”
He claimed he had been “put in a corner” by being asked to just do his job, which believe it or not does not usually include anything to do with the bus design.
The bus driver added: “I would go up to [my bosses] very respectably and say can you please assign me another bus. I wouldn’t throw a fit or protest or get angry.”
“I have a family to support and I am very concerned about losing the job, it’s something I’m very proud to be a part of, but when it goes against the most important things I stand for, or if I’m asked to compromise in such a big way for what I believe to be right, then I have to lose my job.”
Calgary Transit, unsurprisingly, has affirmed that drivers can’t just refuse to do their job because a bus has rainbows on it.
